Under the Blood-Red Sun Study Guide Prepared by: Conflict ...

Under the Blood-Red Sun Study Guide
Prepared by:
Conflict Resolution Academy, LLC
Dr. Richard Voyles
Karen Walters
Carol Rice
www.conflictresolutionacademy.com
conflictacademy@aol.com

Table of Contents
1. Book summary Pg 3
2. Timeline Pg 4
3. Characters & Nicknames Pg 8
5. Japanese/Hawaii Language Pg 9
6. Locations Pg 10
6. Japanese Culture and Traditions Pg 11
7. Moments of Hate – Moments of Help Pg 12
8. Citizenship Pg 14
9. What Does it Mean to be a Victim Pg 15
10. How to deal with Angry People Pg 16
11. Choice Not Chance: Choices for Children Pg 17
12. Word Search Pg 18
13. Web Search Exercises Pg 19
14. Discussion Questions Pg 20
15. Quotations for Discussion Pg 22
16. Sequence of Events Exercise Pg 23
16. Name Exercise Pg 24
18. Web Resources Pg 25
19. Map of Hawaii Pg 26
2

Author: Graham Salisbury
Under the Blood-Red Sun
Graham Salisbury has written “Under the Blood-Red Sun” from the perspective of a
Japanese American family. He speaks as thirteen year old Tomikazu Nakaji. Tomi was
born in Hawaii and is an American. Tomi’s parents and grandfather were born in Japan
and came to America to escape poverty. They are staunchly patriotic to their country
and practice their Japanese customs daily. They make their living fishing in the waters
of Hawaii.
One day when Tomi and his friends are playing, the Japanese launch a surprise attack
on Pearl Harbor killing hundreds of American soldiers. Tomi recognizes the emblem of
the Blood-Red Sun, the symbol of Japanese fighters, on the airplanes and is afraid.
After the attack happens, the United States declares war on Japan. Tomi’s life, and
those of other Japanese Americans, is changed forever. His father and grandfather are
both arrested. Both men are taken to internment camps far from Hawaii. Tomi must
become the man of the family and help his mother and younger sister survive.
Tomi is frightened and ashamed of his heritage. He learns that he has many real friends
who are willing to stand by him and help him. They teach him that courage, loyalty and
friendship can help you get through any situation.
3

1941
September 14
Sunday Afternoon
September 15
Monday Morning
September 27
Saturday
September 28
Sunday
October 1
Wednesday
October 5
Sunday
October 31
Friday
Halloween
A School Day
(probably Nov 3-6)
The Next Day
(a school day)
Under the Blood-Red Sun Study Guide
Time Line
Grampa drying Japanese flag on the clothes line. Keet
Wilson and Jake Davis harass Tomi’s Dad’s pigeons. Tomi
struggles with his temper wanting to “save face.”
School. Conversation about USS Greer attacked on Sept 4.
After school Tomi and Billy go to Diamond grass and
practice pitching (pg 36). They bet on the World Series. Billy
takes the Yankees and Tomi takes the Brooklyn Dodgers.
They bet 15 cents (you could buy a new baseball for that-pg
67). Papa and Tomi check on the pigeons.
Fishing boat weekend with Sanji, Papa, Tomi and Billy.
Sell fish at market. Billy gives some of his fish to Mr.
Wilson and Keet.
World Series begins.
Game four of the World Series. Rainy day in Hawaii. Jake
Davis and Keet Wilson are shooting guns in the woods and
almost hit Tomi accidentally.
USS Reuben James is sunk by a German submarine.
Grampa is waving Japanese flag and singing Japan’s national
anthem. Mr Wilson becomes angry and confronts Tomi about
Grampa’s behavior (pg 78-79 “Jap crap”).
Lucky has her puppies. Billy comes to see the puppies and
meets Red (soon to be his new dog). That night US military at
Pearl Harbor practice maneuvers (pg 85).
The Next Day Papa comes home and Tomi reads him the newspaper article
about the sinking of the Rueben James.

November 14
Friday
December 6
Saturday
December 7
Sunday
December 8
Monday
December 9
Tuesday
December 10
Wednesday
A Few Days Later
(more than 2
weeks since Kimi
saw Papa)
A Few Days Later
(just before
Christmas)
The boys meet the butcher. Science projects assignments are
made with Mr Ramos. “I want to see some real progress by
Dec 15, that is one month from now” (pg 90).
Keet Wilson gets his rifle taken away from him. Tomi
overhears a fight between Keet and his dad. Kimi names one
of the puppies Azuki Beans.
Billy and Tomi have their regular Sunday morning baseball
practice at Diamond grass. Tomi lets some of the pigeons
(racers) out for exercise before 8 am. Billy reminds Tomi that
he owes him 15 cents.
Japanese fighters bomb Pearl Harbor.
Grampa waves his flag at them. They bury the flag with the
emperor’s picture under the Tomi’s house.
At 8:40 am Billy and Tomi are at Charlie’s house to listen to
the radio. By 9:30 am the planes are gone.
That afternoon, Billy lies to US soldiers about Tomi’s
Grampa waving a Japanese flag earlier that day.
Tomi and Grampa are forced to kill all of their pigeons. The
Wilsons do not let Tomi’s mother come to work cleaning their
house. Later that day, standing in line at the store, Tomi and
his mother are feared and alienated (pg 131).
The US begins arresting Japanese fishermen, language school
teachers, businessmen and Buddhist priests (pg 135). Tomi’s
mom buries anything remotely Japanese (traditional kimono, a
bundle of letters tied together with a white ribbon, a
photograph of Tomi standing in the front row of his language
school class with a Japanese flag in the background, grandma’s
alter, incense wrapped in thin paper, the family katana, and a
few other things pg 137).
Grampa discovers that Tomi’s dad was shot in the leg and has
been arrested and that Sanji was killed (pg 141). Grampa also
shares that the fishing boat was sunk in Ala Wai Canal.
Two of the three lost pigeons return to the loft (pg 144-145).
Jake and Billy build a bomb-shelter. Tomi delivers Red to
Billy. Billy and Tomi talk about Billy’s lie. Tomi tells Billy
about his father being arrested and Sanji’s death. Billy is a
supportive friend.
5

ID cards are distributed (pg 151).
Billy and Tomi practice ball at Diamond grass again.
In the Next Days Tomi sees Mose and Rico again and tells them about his
father being arrested. They go to the police station to find out
about Tomi’s dad. He is at Sand Island.
Tomi meets Grampa and Charlie in the woods with the katana
(sword). Grampa hides the katana in the jungle safe and sound
(pg 164).
December 27
Saturday
Dawn
(probably Dec 28-
31)
1942
January 1
Thursday
January 4
Sunday
January 5
Monday
Tomi’s family had to forget Christmas this year.
Billy and Tomi talk about the USS Arizona burning for three
days (pg 166).
Tomi, Billy, Mama and Kimi go to visit Sanji’s family (his
wife: Reiko, and his daughter: Mari and Sanji’s wife’s mother.
They brought a gift of a box of eggs.
Billy gave his binoculars to Sanji’s daughter Marii (the one’s
his dad gave him for Christmas) in exchange for bananas (pg
170).
Tomi swims to Sand Island and sees his father in a prisoner’s
camp. That night, after swimming back, Tomi falls asleep by
the water and is caught by Military Police (MP). He is
questioned and they drive him home. His family was worried
about him. Grampa doesn’t believe him, at first (pg 186-187).
Mama tells Tomi that he is brave. Tomi thinks Mama is
braver that them all.
Billy comes over to play baseball. Tomi invites Billy into his
house and his room for the first time ever. The team is going
over to play a game with the Kaka’ako boys. Tomi tell his
friends about going to see his father. Tomi’s team wins the
game. The Kaka’ako boys intervene when the Coral Street
punks pick a fight with Tomi and his friends after the game.
Tomi has a nightmare about his father being shot by a firing
squad.
Gift of kerosene shows up on the porch (five gallons:
probably from the Davis family). “That stuff was as good as
gold, and almost impossible to get” (pg 207).
Tomi, Billy, Kimi and Grampa go to Diamond grass and
practice baseball. Grampa hits a pitch from Billy and dances
in the grass. Four pups chase Lucky through Diamond grass
6

January 6
Tuesday
January 8
Thursday
January 9
Friday
Near the End of
January
Early One
Morning
(probably first
week in Feb:
school had been
out almost 2
months)
Early One Sunday
Morning
(a few weeks later)
as Lucky drags the Japanese flag through the grass.
Grampa finds out that Papa has already been moved to the
mainland. Mrs. Wilson asks Mama to come back to work
(cleaning the Wilson’s home).
About 5:00 pm Grampa is arrested and taken away by the
FBI. Mama tells Tomi about her first time arriving to Hawaii
and having no one to turn to.
Tomi must look for a job.
Dawn: Charlie comes to visit and learns about Grampa’s
arrest. Charlie shows Tomi where the sword is hidden.
Keet threatens Tomi with a rifle and shoots the katana/sword.
Tomi stands up to Keet and risks his life for the sake of the
sword.
A postcard arrives from Papa.
Mr Davis tells Tomi that his dad is in Crystal City, Texas.
They do not know where Grampa was taken yet.
School starts up again. Boys have to carry a gas mask with
them at all times. Many things have changed.
Mr Ramos explains why this happened: talks about power
and choice (pg 233-236).
After school: Tomi goes to see the Taigo Maru and his
friends go with him to the canal.
On the way back Tomi is verbally attacked by a racist. Rico
stands up to the man and says something to him. Tomi stands
up to the man and says something to him.
Reiko and Mari visit Tomi’s family bringing a bucket of
crawfish as a gift.
Tomi makes plans with himself to oil the katana tonight. He
is the keeper/guardian of the katana. He imagines his family
together again passing the katana between him, his father and
his Grampa.
7

Characters
Tomi Book’s main character. Story told from his point of view.
Billy Davis Tomi’s best friend.
Jake Davis Billy’s older brother.
Keet Wilson Jake’s friend. Neighborhood bully.
Mose and Rico (brothers) Tomi’s and Billy’s school pals.
Kaka’ako boys Rival baseball team.
Mr Ramos Tomi’s teacher.
Mr & Mrs Wilson Employs Mama. Tomi’s family lives on Wilson’s property.
Mr Davis Billy and Jake’s dad.
Sanji Works on Tomi’s Dad’s fishing boat.
Reiko Sanji’s wife.
Mari Sanji’s daughter (younger than Kimi).
Taro Nakaji Tomi’s Dad.
Mama Tomi’s Mom.
Grampa Tomi’s Grandpa.
Kimi Tomi’s 5 year old sister.
Charlie Grampa’s Hawaiian friend.
Lucky Tomi’s dog.
Red Billy’s dog. One of Lucky’s puppies.
Pigeons Raised by Tomi’s Dad.
Tumbler pigeons
Racers pigeons
High-fliers pigeons
Haole boy= Billy
Nicknames
Tomi-kun= endearing name for Tomi from Mama
Wilson-sama= name of respect from papa to Mr. Wilson (pg 63)
Joji-san= Charlie’s nickname for grampa
Ojii-chan= Family nickname for grampa
8

Haole= white skinned (Hawaiian)
Kimpatsu= yellow hair (Japanese)
Kuso= Japanese swear word
Hana-kuso= booger
Issei= first generation Japanese immigrant
Gamman= patience
Furoshiki= a silky scarf
Katana= samurai sword
Butsudan= family “altar”
Sake= Japanese rice wine
Japanese and Hawaiian Language
Itadakimasu= Japanese prayer/blessing for food. “let’s eat.”
Gochisoh-sama= prayer/blessing at the end of a meal. “means you’re done eating.”
Ii-na= good
Aku= skipjack tuna
Noio= birds feeding on the tuna
Ahi= yellowfin
Bento= lunch
Musubi= sticky rice wrapped in seaweed with ume inside.
Ume= small red pickled plum
Shoyu aku= tuna and soy sauce
Tamagoyaki= grilled egg shaped like little square cookies
Magokoro= love and attention
Ojii-chan= grampa
Benshi= the actor-guy, in Japanese silent movies, who would give you the dialogue.
Yakyu= Japanese baseball
Ka’a ka pohaku= Hawaiian for “the stones roll.” Thunder.
Kimigayo= Japanese national anthem
Azuki Beans= small, pebblelike beans
Shikata ga nai= No can help…What is done, is done.
Usotsuki= liar
9

Daijobo-yo= It’s all right
Doh sureba iino= How would we manage?
Shira-nai= I don’t know
Katana o mamore!= Save the sword (protect the sword)
Nakaji no namae o mamore!= Protect the family name (save the family name)
Kahiko o ke akua= Hawaiian blessing for rain
Locations
Diamond grass Billy and Tomi’s sanctuary/refuge (pg 33)
Kaka’ako Japanese, Hawaiians, and Portuguese poor areas/ghetto
Nu’uanu Valley Where Billy and Tomi lived (pg 36)
Taiyo Maru Tomi’s family fishing boat
Kewalo Basin Where Papa kept the Taiyo Maru
Wheeler Field US air field (pg 52)
Ala Wai Canal Where the Japanese fishing boats were sunk
10

Losing Face
Protect Family Name
Tatami mat
Butsudan
Japanese Culture and Traditions
“If you are troublemaker, then I am troublemaker…I am
bad father, bad family” (pg 9).
Causing trouble will bring shame to the Nakaji name
(pg 7).
Grampa slept on the floor in Tomi’s room on a tatami
mat (pg 30).
Japanese family alter. “A place to go to when you need
some help, when you have a problem” (pg 32). A place to
talk to one’s ancestors, seeking advice and guidance.
Shaved (bald) head Grampa’s head was kept bald in an old traditional
Japanese way for men (pg 37).
Bad-luck on fishing boats Bananas on a Japanese fishing boat brings bad luck and
haoles on a Japanese fishing boat brings bad luck (pg 42).
Rice and shoyu-egg Traditional Japanese breakfast food. Raw egg and soy
sauce over rice (pg 44-45).
Katana Samurai sword. “That belong to your ancestor. Long
time ago. Nobody since then bring disgrace or shame to
the name of the family” (pg 164).
Gift Exchange Billy gives an expensive gift to a poor family creating a
awkward situation (pg 169-170). Billy thinks the
generosity of the gift expresses his care. In fact, the
generosity of the gift highlights Reiko’s poverty creating a
little embarrassment. Tomi whispers to Billy to take
something. For Billy taking something minimizes the
value of the gift as gift (a thoughtful gesture, with “no
strings attached.) To accept something suggests to Billy
(and Westerners) that this is an exchange, not a gift; it
suggests “strings were attached;” it suggests Billy gave
the gift trying to get something in return. This is a
difficult situation for many westerners.
11

Moments of Hate and Moments of Help
Pg. 62 Hawaiian fisherman will not wave to the Japanese fishing boat.
Pg. 131 “In my whole life, I’ll never forget that look, I realized that what that
lady was wasn’t just a boy and his mother…What she saw was a
Japanese boy, and his Japanese mother.”
Pg. 135 “Everybody nervous about Japanese, and lots of people with guns
and machetes out there. They are looking for revenge. And rumors
are going around now …They say: you never know about them.”
Pg. 135-136 “They saying you never know about how maybe was true they went
help show the planes where to bomb. There was one story about
somebody went cut big arrows in the sugarcane fields that pointed to
Pearl Harbor. And there was one about how they went check the
Japanese pilots who was shot down and found McKinley High School
rings on the finger…and they saying the water supply was
poisoned…and that local Japanese peoples are hiding ammunition on
their properties.”
Pg. 136 “Sorry,” Charlie said, “You folks need anything, you come get me.
Don’t go anywhere. Very dangerous.”
Pg. 157 “They think we’re spies or something….But Mose told the truth.
Still, nobody knows nothing…so they scared…just like we all
scared.”
Pg. 160 “I ain’t letting those Japs take me, man. Rico looked at me, kind of
embarrassed. Sorry…everybody saying Japs now.” (Dehumanizing
names.)
Pg. 162 “That dog – she always made me feel good.” Lucky is not prejudice.
Pg. 230 “I want you to know one thing,” Mr. Davis said. “If you or your
mother ever need anything…anything…you come to us, okay?”
Pg.240-241 “Hey, Buddhahead – you got a lot of nerve coming out in the open
after what your people did.” Rico stands up to the man and says
something to him. What would you do? Stay silent, say something?
What would you say? What would you say if you were Tomi? What
would you say if you were Tomi’s friend? Have you ever had this
happen to you?
12

Pg. 240-241 “You got it wrong, mister,” Tomi said. “I was born here. I live here,
just like you do. And I’m an American.”
“Beat it, Jap,” he said.
“American,” I said again.
He narrowed his eyes but didn’t say anything more. I eased away
feeling…strange…very strange. Almost peaceful. Spooky, feeling
peaceful when somebody hates you.
Bystanders = Mr. Wilson
Perpetrators = US Military, Zeek
Rescuers = Jake, Mr Davis, Charlie
Victims= Tomi, Tomi’s Dad, Sanji
Bystander is someone who remains silent, saying nothing and doing nothing when bad
things are happening to people around them. For example when a bully is picking on
someone during lunch or in the hall a bystander is someone who looks the other way,
afraid to tell someone about the bully, glad the bully is not picking on them.
Perpetrator is someone who inflicts harm on another person. This is a bully. A
perpetrator is someone who picks on others, intimidating, pushing, name calling or hitting
an innocent person.
Rescuer is someone who reports to bully or bullying behavior to a teacher or parent. A
rescuer might step in to help or protect someone from a bully. Rescuers stand by the
victims and the innocent.
Victim is someone who is being attacked or picked on by a bully.
13

Citizenship
Except for Native Americans, the United States is a nation of
people who left their home country looking for a better life
(immigrants). For this reason, the United States is sometimes
called the "melting pot". As a result, the population of the United
States is made up of a mixture of people from different countries,
such as Ireland, China, and Mexico. The next time you are in
class, look around. Everyone around you is different. Although
your classmate may have been born in the United States, at
some point, that person's family left their home country and came
to the United States. Ask your parents about your family's history.
But even though we are all different, we are all Americans.
However, living in the United States doesn't automatically make one
an American citizen. Residents of the United States can be aliens,
nationals, or citizens.
• Aliens: Aliens are people who have left (emigrated) a foreign
country to the United States. They have some of the same
freedoms and legal rights as U.S. citizens, but they cannot vote in elections.
• National: American nationals are natives of American territorial possessions.
They have all the legal protections which citizens have, but they do not have the
full political rights of US citizens.
• Citizens: Persons born in the U.S. or to U.S. citizens in foreign countries are
citizens of the United States. Persons born in other countries who want to become
citizens must apply for and pass a citizenship test. Those who become citizens in
this manner are naturalized citizens.
Citizens of the U.S. enjoy all of the freedoms, protections, and legal rights which the
Constitution promises.
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/citizenship/index.html
14

What Does it Mean to be a Victim?
Victim is someone who is being attacked or picked on by a bully.
Not remaining a victim frees us:
• From accepting, or being assigned the role of victim
• From situations that have hurt us, so that we can get on with our lives
• From struggling to manipulate others
• From using up all our energy thinking about the situation
• From reacting to life
• To use our potential and strengths, self-respect and power for us
The Payoffs for Remaining a Victim:
• We get to stay angry
• We get to be irresponsible
• We get to have someone/something else to blame for everything that goes
wrong in our lives
• We get to continue to fantasize about punishing the person or system
• We get to continue having a victim identity
• We get to wallow in self-pity and get sympathy from others
• We get to have a superior feeling
• We get to have an illusion of power and control (When in reality we are
the ones allowing ourselves to be controlled by the situation/person)
• We get to avoid facing powerful feelings of loss
• We get to have something to always talk about with friends and family
The Price for Remaining a Victim:
• We respond only to hurt, pain and loss of life rather than the good things
• We are reactive, rather than proactive
• We cannot take responsibility for ourselves (it’s someone else’s fault)
• We continue to hinder ourselves and our relationships
• We avoid our feelings
• We cannot get beyond our anger, hatred and resentments
• We lack self-worth, safety, growth and freedom
• We repeat the same behaviors and thoughts over and over
15

How to Deal With Angry People
• Don’t confront anger with anger - A soft answer really does
diffuse the situation
• Let the person with the hurt feelings know that you
understand what you said or did hurt their feelings
• Listen to what they have to say and don’t justify what you
said or did just to get out of the situation
• Accept any blame or responsibility that belongs to you
• Don’t try to offer excuses or place blame elsewhere
• Express your feelings openly and honestly (e.g. If you feel
defensive, acknowledge that fact and then do the right thing
anyway)
• If possible, work together towards resolution of the cause of
the problem and their anger
“Use the ‘Why Not?’ Mindset—
You will never change anything unless you ask ‘Why Not?’”
16

Choice Not Chance: Choices for Children
Remember - Your destiny is determined every day by the choices you make. Choose wisely.
1) Choose for the long term. Don’t just think about how you feel right now – Ask
yourself - what will happen if I do this now because I am mad? Ask “Where will
this choice lead me?”
2) Choose a new way of thinking. No matter what mistakes you have made before
(being mean, holding a grudge) you can always change. Don’t go along with the
crowd. Don’t feel a certain way or act a certain way just because that is
the way “it has always been done” or “my friends told me that I should do
something mean to keep him from doing it to me first.”
3) Choose for the future. Bad things that were done in the past can’t be
changed, but we can’t keep punishing people for the past. We can only go forward
and change future behaviors. If your thinking doesn’t change, then you don’t
grow emotionally.
4) Choose for yourself. Nobody can choose for you if you believe in freedom of
choice. Think for yourself. Think deeply so you know what you believe.
5) Choose now. Don’t put making choices off. Good choices won’t wait.
Procrastination is the result of fear of failure. Chances to succeed don’t change
by waiting.
7) Choose patiently. The ability to stick with a plan and finish what your start is
key to good choices. Don’t think you can do something mean and then go back
and change it later. Words can hurt and can’t be taken back.
8) Choose repeatedly. Make good choices over and over again. Get up every
morning and choose to be kind and forgiving again. The opportunity to choose
is yours.
9) Choose courageously. Sometimes you must choose all by yourself.
10) Choose decisively. Don’t make just half a choice and don’t justify why you
should do something. Just do it.
11) Choose wholeheartedly. Believe you can choose who or what you want to be.
17

Under the Blood-Red Sun Word Search
Find these 15 words that help you describe the conflict and
resolution between the United States and Japan after the bombing
of Pearl Harbor.
18

Under the Blood-Red Sun Study Guide
Web Search Exercises
1) Look up USS Greer and tell the story about its attack.
2) Look up USS Reuben James and tell the story about how it was sunk. Who
attacked it?
3) Look up the 1941 World Series. Who won the 5 game? How many total runs
were scored by the Yankees during the entire series? This can be turned into a
simple math exercise too.
4) Look up the 1941 calendar year. On what day did you birthday fall that year?
5) Look up pigeons. What is a tumbler pigeon? What is racer pigeon? What is a
messenger pigeon? What is a high-flier pigeon?
6) Look up P-40 Tomahawks. Report anything of interest you discover about this
plane.
7) Look up Japanese Zero. Report anything of interest you discover about this plane.
8) Look up USS Arizona Memorial. How many men were on board this ship when it
sank? How many visitors does it have each year?
9) Look up Japanese relocation centers. What were they? Why were they created?
10) Look up Japanese-American Reparations. What are they? Why were they given?
11) Look up 442 Regimental Combat Team of the US Army (Japanese-American).
12) What medals did the 442nd earn?
13) Look up the follow medals. Which one is the highest? What do you have to do to
get one of these medals?
Medals of Valor
Medal of Honor
Distinguished Service Crosses
Presidential Unit Citations
Silver Stars
Purple Hearts
19

Under the Blood-Red Sun Study Guide
Discussion Questions
1) Tomi and his mom have to bury things under their house that identify them as
being from Japan. If your city was taken over by another country, what items in
your house would identify you as an American? What would you have to bury or
hide?
2) Why is the US military concerned about Tomi’s pigeons? Why did they make
Tomi and Grampa kill the birds?
3) Tomi’s father is arrested and his fishing boat is sunk. They have lost their primary
means of making money and getting food. What did they do to get food?
4) Billy lies to the Army men about seeing Tomi’s Grampa waving a Japanese flag at
the Japanese airplanes during the bombing of Pearl Harbor in order to protect
Tomi’s Grampa from getting arrested. Would you have lied to save a friends
grandpa? Why?
5) What does Billy do to be a supportive friend to Tomi when he hears about Tomi’s
father being shot and arrested; and when he hears about Sanji’s death?
6) Several days after the bombing, Billy and Tomi practice pitching and catching
together again. “I just wanted to get back to how it used to be….I tossed it back.
Watching Billy catch it, just like it used to be, almost choked me up” (pg 152).
Why did Tomi want things to get back to how it used to be? What had changed
for Tomi? What had changed for Billy?
7) Tomi’s family had to forget Christmas . What if you had to forget Christmas one
year? Do you know anyone who has had to forget Christmas one year (because of
poverty)?
20

8) Billy gave his binoculars to Sanji’s daughter Marii (the one’s his dad gave him for
Christmas). Would you give your favorite gift to someone poorer than you?
Would you give your favorite gift in exchange for bananas?
9) Four pups chase Lucky through Diamond grass as Lucky drags the Japanese flag
through the grass while Tomi, Billy, Kimi and Grampa are there practicing
baseball. Tomi and Billy catch Lucky and the flag and must rebury it. How would
you feel if you had to bury the American flag and hide who you are?
10) Tomi must look for a job. What would it be like if you had to find a job to help
your family survive?
11) Grampa is arrested and tells Tomi to look after the katana. Charlie shows Tomi
where Grampa hid the sword in the jungle. “That thing was very important to
him,” Charlie said. “His history…your history, Tomi” (pg 222). “Ancestors.
Honor…Respect…Not my katana…but the family katana. It belonged to no one,
and to everyone…past, present, and future.” (pg 222-223). Is there anything in
your family that represents your history?
12) Tomi is verbally attacked by a racist. “Hey, Buddhahead – you got a lot of nerve
coming out in the open after what your people did” (pg 240). Rico stands up to the
man and says something to him. What would you do? Stay silent, say something?
What would you say? What would you say if you were Tomi? What would you
say if you were Tomi’s friend? Have you ever had this happen to you?
21

Apathy and Indifference: Quotations for Discussion
Abraham Lincoln: "To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men."
William James: "When you have a choice to make and you don't make it, that in itself is a
choice."
Albert Einstein: "The world is too dangerous to live in, not because of the people who do
evil, but because of the people who sit and let it happen."
Edmund Burke: "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do
nothing."
Rev. Martin Niemoeller, a pastor in the German Confessing Church, who spent seven
years in a concentration camp: “First they came for the Communists, and 1 did not speak
up- because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews, and 1 did not speak up- because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak up- because I was not a trade
unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics, and 1 did not speak up- because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me--and by that time, nobody was left to speak up.”
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Under the Blood-Red Sun Sequence of Events Worksheet
Directions: Put the following events in the correct sequence in which they happened in
the book. Place the number “1” next to the event that happened first, a “2” next to the
event that happened second, and so on.
____ A postcard arrives from Papa
____ Tomi swims to Sand Island
____ Jake and Billy build a bomb-shelter
____ World Series begins
____ Grampa is arrested
____ Tomi and Grampa are forced to kill all of their pigeons
____ USS Rueben James is sunk by a German submarine
____ Grampa drying Japanese flag on clothes line
____ Tomi has a nightmare about his father being shot by a firing squad
____ Lucky has her puppies
____ Keet Wilson gets his rifle taken away from him
____ Tomi goes to see the sunken Taigo Maru and his friends go with him to the canal
____ The boys meet the butcher
____ Japanese fighters bomb Pearl Harbor
____ Charlie shows Tome where the sword is hidden
Answers: 14,10,9,2,12,8,3,1,11,4,6,15,5,7,13
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Under the Blood-Red Sun Study Guide
What is your full name: first, middle, last?
Name Exercise
Your name tells a story about your family. It tells us something about you, your
history, your family, who you are. Your were given your name for a reason, it was a
conscious choice by someone, maybe even a family decision including your parents,
your grandparents and maybe even brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles.
If you do not know the story of your name, go home and ask your parents what your
name means, what your name represents. Some of us are named after another special
family member who lived a long time ago. Some of us are named after another special
person who is not a family member, but represent the beliefs and values your family
hold important.
If you have a nickname share it. Who gave it to you? What does it mean? What does
it represent? (Only share loving nicknames: nicknames you accept for yourself).
Names are important. They mean something. They tell everyone who we were. They
remind us who we are.
This is why we do not call others bad names.
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Under the Blood-Red Sun Study Guide
Web Resources
Diversity
www.education.byu.edu/diversity/activities.html
Immigration: Discussion Guides
www.publicagenda.org/issues/debate.cfm?issue_type=immigration
Awareness Activities
www.edchange.org/multicultural/activityarch.html
www.awesomelibrary.org/classroom/social_studies/multicultural.html
www.wilderdom.com/games
Interment Camps and Memorials
www.infoplease.com/spot/internment1.html
www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/anthropology74/cep.html
www.nps.gov/manz/forteachers/suggestedreading.htm
www.nps.gov/.../history/online_books/anthropology74/ceb.htm
www.nps.gov/.../history/online_books/anthropology74/ce17.htm
www.nps.gov/.../extContent/wapa/guides/first/sec7.htm
www.nps.gov/archive/manz/hrs/hrs3.htm
www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/89manzanar/89lrnmore.htm
www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/89manzanar/89visual6.htm
www.nps.gov/aleu/historyculture/stories.htm
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OAHU, HAWAII and PEARL HARBOR